Janonis



Jan. 31, 1956 G. JANONIS D0012 LATCH MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 30,-1952 INVENTOR.

GEORGE JANONIS Jan. 31, 1956 G. JANONIS DOOR LATCH MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 30, 1952 FIG.5

INVENTOR.

GEORGE JANONIS ATTORNEYS United States Patent {6 DOOR LATCH MECHANISM George Janonis, Detroit, Mich.

Application June 30, 1952, Serial No. 296,355

12 Claims. (Cl. 292-166) The present invention relates to door latch mechanism.

It is an object of the present invention to provide door latching and locking mechanism characterized by the simplicity of the construction, the few parts required, and the economy and efliciency of the mechanism.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide door latch mechanism comprising a movable latch bolt, resilient means normally urging the bolt to the latching position, a single bolt releasing lever having one-way engagement with the bolt and adapted upon movement of the lever to move the bolt to unlatched position in combination with means for moving the bolt release lever toward bolt release position.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide in a bolt of the character described separately operable bolt release means operable in conjunction with the bolt release lever for shifting the bolt release lever toward bolt release position.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide in mechanism of the character described a blocking device selectively shiftable between two positions in one of which said device mechanically blocks movement of the bolt release lever to bolt release position.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide in mechanism of the character described a keylock device associated with the blocking device and adapted to shift the blocking device between blocking and release positions.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a fragmentary vertical section through a vehicle door illustrating essential parts of the bolt operating mechanism.

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the operating parts of the bolt actuating mechanism.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary section on the line 3-3, Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary section on the line 4-4, Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an elevational view of the side of the door showing parts of the latch mechanism.

Referring now to the drawings, the latch mechanism is illustrated as associated with a vehicle door having an inner panel 10, an outer panel 12, the inner panel being covered with conventional trim material 14 such as fabric. In the present case the actual bolt is best illustrated at 16 in Figure 4, and is adapted to pass through an opening in the upper wall 18 of a channel shaped buffer element 20 into engagement with one of the recesses 22 or 24 of a keeper 26. The keeper is received between the upper wall 18 and a lower wall 28 of the channel member 20. The keeper 26 is closely engaged at opposite sides 2,733,091 Patented Jan. 31, 1956 by the walls 18 and 28 and the arrangement therefore provides a combined door buffer and latch mechanism. The latch element 16 is secured to a vertically movable latch carrier bar 30 which extends through an opening in an upper flange 32 and an opening in a lower flange 34 provided on a mounting plate 36. The mounting plate 36 has an elongated vertical opening therein indicated at 33 and the material from which this opening was prodnced is bent up to form guide ribs 40 at the opposite sides of the carrier member 30. In the actual construction the upper end of the carrier bar or member 30 comprises an extension pin 42, although if desired the carrier member 30 could be of unitary construction extending through both channels 32 and 34. 7

As best seen in Figure 2, the carrier member 30 includes a laterally extending lug 44 against the'underside of which is engaged a lever arm 46 forming a part of a lever indicated generally at 48 mounted for rocking movement about a pivot pin 50. The actuating arm 52 of the lever 43 extends upwardly and serves as the operating arm thereof. Located above the lug 44 is a compression spring 54 the upper end of which seats against the underside of the flange 32 and biases the bolt carrier 30 downwardly. From the construction as thus far described it will be observed that the bolt carrier may be mechanically moved upwardly by rocking movement of the lever 48. However, the bolt carrier 30 may move upwardly independently of the lever 43 as is required when the door is swung t latched position.

Means are provided for moving the bolt release lever 48 and hence the bolt carrier 30 in bolt releasing direction. This means comprises a plunger 60 extending through an opening 62 provided in an ear 64 formed by an upwardly bent end of the flange 32. The plunger 60 extends through an opening in the outer door panel and is connected to a push button 66. A compression spring 68 surrounds the portion of the plunger 60 intermediate the flange 62 and a stop element 70 carried by the plunger at the inner side of the door. The spring 68 normally retains the plunger 60 in outward position as seen in Figure 1, and permits the actuating arm 52 to be moved to a position corresponding to latched position of the bolt. When the push button 66 is pressed the lever 48 is swung clockwise as seen in Figure 1, thereby lifting the bolt carrier and moving the bolt 16 to release position.

Means are provided at the inner side of the door for also moving the bolt release member to releasing position. This means comprises a lever 72 mounted for rocking movement about a vertical pivot pin 74 located at the inner side of the door. The lever is actuated by a push button 76 surrounded by a protective escutcheon plate 78 which includes an upwardly extending recessed portion 80. Mounted in the recessed portion 80 of the escutcheon plate is a protectiveplate 82 the lower portion of which is cupped and which may serve as an ash tray. The plate 82 also servesas a protection for the upholstery. The recessed portion 80 of the escutcheon plate permits the user to place his finger in the recessed portion and to press the plunger 76 with his thumb, thereby affording full control of the door during opening movement. It also provides means by which the door may be drawn to closed position.

The lever 72 at the end opposite to the push button 76 includes an offset portion 84 cooperable .with .he upper end of the lever arm 52. vWhen the push button 76 is pressed the lever portion 84 moves tothe right as seen in Figures 1 and 2, thereby rocking the bolt release lever 48 to bolt releasing position,

Means are provided for blocking movement of the bolt release lever 48 to bolt releasing position. This means is best seen in Figures 1 and 2 and comprises a movable member 90 slidable through an opening 92 in the upper flange 32 and an opening 94 in the lower flange 34. At its upper end the member 90 has an offset arm 96 shown in the full line position of Figure 1 as located above the upper end of the arm 52 of the bolt release lever 48. The member 90 is vertically movable and the offset arm 96 may be moved downwardly to the dotted line position illustrated in Figure l, in which position it prevents movement of the arm 52. of the bolt release lever from the full line position. Thus, when the member 90 is in lower position, the bolt release lever is blocked in its full line position and cannot be moved by either the plunger 60 or the lever 72 to bolt release position. Extending upwardly from the offset arm 96 is a rod 98 terminating in a ball head 100 passing through an opening 102 formed in the upper surface 104 of the door. The member 100 may be moved vertically thereby shifting the member 90 vertically and the member 90 will remain in whichever position it is left. Thus, when the ball head 100 is pressed downwardly While the door is latched the door becomes locked and cannot be reopened except by raising the member 90.

. Key actuated lock means are provided which can also effect vertical movement of the member 90. This means as illustrated, comprises a lock housing 102 having an escutcheon 104 located at the outer surface of the door panel 12. The lock housing 102 includes a key actuated rotatable lock cylinder 106 to which is connected an operating shaft 108, this shaft being connected by a rigid link 110 to the vertically movable member 90. The link 110 will be provided with a suitable lost motion connection to either shaft 108 or vertically movable member 90 so that the door can be locked or unlocked by either a key or actuation of the member 100. Thus, the member 90 may be moved to either locked or unlocked position by rotation of the key cylinder 106. At the same time the member 90 may be shifted vertically by manipulation of the ball head 100.

The drawings and the foregoing specification constitute a description of the improved door latch mechanism in such full, clear, concise and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, the scope of which is indicated by the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A door lock of the class described comprising a mounting plate having its opposite edges turned to provide upper and lower flanges, said flanges having vertically aligned openings, a bolt carrier reciprocable in said openings, said plate having an elongated opening underlying said carrier, the material of said plate being formed up at the sides of the opening to provide guide flanges between which said carrier is received, a bolt on said carrier extending through the elongated opening in said plate, a bolt release lever pivoted to said plate adjacent said carrier, cooperating abutments on said lever and carrier providing for one-way actuation of said carrier by said lever in bolt releasing direction, and a spring urging said carrier toward latched position.

2. A lock as defined in claim 1 in which said spring surrounds said carrier and is positioned between said upper flange and the abutment on said carrier.

3. A lock as defined in claim 2 including a manual actuator having one-way connection to said lever for moving said lever toward bolt releasing position.

4. A lock as defined in claim 3 including a locking device including an abutment selectively shiftable into and out of the path of said lever in its bolt releasing movement.

5. A door lock for vehicles comprising a sheet metal mounting plate adapted to be secured to the inner side of the free edge of a vehicle door, said plate having a vertical slot therethrough, the material from said slot being turned inwardly at right angles to the plate to form vertcal guide ribs, an elongated bolt carrier movable vertically at the inner side of said plate between said ribs, a bolt on said carrier extending through said slot, resilient means engaging said carrier and urging said carrier in a direction to move said bolt in locking direction, the top and bottom edge portions of said plate being turned inwardly at right angles to said plate to provide flanges, said flanges having guide openings therein, said bolt carrier extending through said openings, a bell crank lever pivoted to said plate and having a horizontal and a vertical arm, a lug on said bolt carrier overlying said horizontal arm, and manually operable means engageable with the vertical arm of said lever for swinging said lever in a direction to raise said bolt carrier and bolt.

6. A lock as defined in claim 5 in which said resilient means is a coil spring surrounding said carrier having its upper end engaging the under side of the flange at the top of said plate and its lower end engaging said lug.

7. Alock as defined in claim 5 in which the flanges at the top and bottom of said plate have additional openings, an elongated member movable vertically in said openings, said member having an abutment movable into and out of blocking position with respect to the vertical arm of said bell crank lever.

8. A lock for a door having an enclosure between its opposite sides adjacent an edge thereof, said enclosure having an opening in the edge of the door, a bolt movable in said opening, resilient means operatively connected to said bolt biasing said bolt in locking direction, a bell crank lever having a bolt actuating arm operatively associated with said bolt to retract said bolt from its locking position, a first push button at one side of said door having an extension directly engageable with the other arm of said lever to swing said lever in lock releasing direction, a second push button at the opposite side of said door, a second lever in said enclosure pivoted intermediate its ends about a fixed pivot, one end of said second lever being directly engageable with the said other arm of said bell crank lever at the same side thereof as said first push button, said second push button having an extension engageable with the other end of said second lever whereby inward movement of either push button Will swing said first lever in lock releasing direction.

9. A lock as defined in claim 8 in which said bolt is movable vertically, and said bell crank lever has a horizontal bolt actuating arm and a vertical arm.

10. A lock as defined in claim 9 in which said second lever extends horizontally and its fixed pivot has a vertical axis.

11. A lock comprising a mounting plate having spaced parallel flanges at opposite edges thereof, said flanges having a first pair of aligned guide openings, an elongated member having its end portions slidably received in said guide openings, a bolt operatively connected to said member and movable thereby, one of said flanges having an elongated guide slot therein, a bell crank lever pivoted to said plate having a first arm engageable with said memher and its second arm extending through said slot, and means engageable with said second arm to swing said bell crank in a direction to retract said bolt, the flange provided with said slot having an ear disposed at an angle thereto, said ear having an opening therethrough, and a lock release push button having an extension movably received in said opening and engageable with said second arm of said bell crank.

12. A lock comprising a mounting plate having spaced parallel flanges at opposite edges thereof, said flanges having a first pair of aligned guide openings, an elongated member having its end portions slidably received in said guide openings, a bolt operatively connected to said memher and movable thereby, one of said flanges having an elongated guide slot therein, a bell crank lever pivoted to said plate having a first arm engageable with said member and a second arm extending through said slot, means engageable with said second arm to swing said bell crank in a direction to retract said bolt, said flanges being provided with a second pair of generally aligned open ings, an elongated blocking member extending through and movable longitudinally in said second pair of openings, said blocking member having an abutment movable thereby into and out of the path of movement of said second arm of said bell crank.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 6 Vredenburgh et al Dec. 29, Newpher May 18, Carlson Mar. 22, Taylor May 23, Halinka Oct. 27, Jones June 4, Snipes Feb. 19, Ford Oct. 8, Simpson Apr. 9, Anderson Aug. 12, Cloutier et al. Feb. 10, Wagner Feb. 12, Stulpin et al. Apr. 3, Allen July 22, Buck Dec. 16, 

